Tahini Date Shake
Creamy, dairy-free shake made with tahini, dates and bananas. This rich smoothie would be a lovely after-dinner drink or afternoon treat!
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on August 29, 2024
Our month in Austin is coming to a close far too quickly. I only have two more nights left before we pack our bags and head north. I kind of want to throw a flailing fit about it. “It’s not fairrrrrrr!”
I haven’t crossed off all the restaurants and activities on my Austin bucket list, so I’m feeling some intense pressure to take advantage of every minute left. It always kills me to leave a place without seeing it all. I want to cross off one place on my list to move on to the next, but that won’t happen with Austin. It rarely happens that way. I almost always want to go back! There’s always more to see and do, isn’t there?
I feel the same way about Austin as I do about my trip to Israel last fall. One of my favorite restaurants in Tel Aviv was Café Louise, where we must have sampled just about everything on the menu. They handed out tiny tahini-date-banana “shakes” to enjoy before dinner. I loved that shake, and I’ve recreated it at home a few times.
This recipe is rich and creamy, featuring nutty tahini and sweet dates, two of the Middle East’s most beloved ingredients. The result is a decadent treat that is closer to a milkshake than a smoothie in terms of sweetness and richness, although there’s no ice cream involved. It’s dairy-free and vegan. This “shake” is a little on the unusual side, but I hope you’ll give it a try!
Tahini Date Shake
This creamy, dairy-free shake is made with tahini, dates and bananas. This rich smoothie would be a lovely after-dinner drink or afternoon treat! Recipe yields two small shakes.
Ingredients
- 1 cup almond milk or milk of choice (nut-free if necessary)
- 2 sliced and frozen ripe (but not overripe) bananas
- ¼ cup well-stirred tahini
- 4 Medjool dates, pitted and torn into pieces*
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon real vanilla extract
- Optional garnishes: pinch of cinnamon and/or sesame seeds
Instructions
- In a blender, combine the milk, frozen banana slices, tahini, dates, cinnamon and vanilla.
- Blend until smooth. Taste and add more vanilla or cinnamon if desired. If you’d like to lighten it up, blend in some ice as well. Pour into glasses and serve immediately.
Notes
*Date tip: If your dates are old and difficult to tear open, soak them in hot water for 5 minutes before using.
Change it up: Substitute nut butter for the tahini, like peanut butter, almond butter or pecan butter.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
Oh my goodness, those figs! Dreamy! So fun to hear all about your adventures. Also love the reminder to embrace our failures as part of the learning process. Inspiring advice!
You could try making this with Silan, which is dates “honey” sirup and is easier to blend.
Love all of these photos, Kathryne, and this tahini shake sounds divine. I spent a brief period of my life in Israel but haven’t been back since (I was 7)…your post makes me want to check it out again. x
When I was in Israel, I subsisted off dried dates and figs. It was awesome!
Oh my goodness girl! You’re in Austin! I haven’t kept up like I should have – a belated welcome to this city!
<3 Anna
Austin sounds like such a delight! Definitely a foodie haven! And this shake looks awesome too. Definitely need to try!
Pinned! I’ll be recreating this on my blog soon. Thanks for the inspiration Kate!
Wow, never thought of that combo! Looks divine!
Ooh, I would love to go to Tel Aviv. Thank you for sharing these vibrant photos with us!
And I *never* would have thought to put tahini in a shake. Yum.
I had no idea Tel Aviv was so friendly to vegan and vegetarians! Your pictures are beautiful. I hope to get a chance to visit one day!
I adding dates to my smoothies too but I would have never thought to combine them with tahini. That sounds so creamy and delicious!
i can’t get enough of tahini in smoothies/shakes. i make a really similar smoothie but with cardamom instead of cinnamon. so good. your pictures are making me seriously hongry. and thirsty!
Oh, cardamom sounds lovely!
I have a few leftover dates from when I made granola bars – now I think I’ve finally figured out what to do make them! Love the unique combination of ingredients.
I get that feeling whenever I travel to a new place too Kate! I guess you can console yourself by planning another trip somewhere soon – that’s my strategy (even if it’s just a weekend adventure somewhere local).
Tel Aviv looks amazing! I didn’t know that it would have so many amazing vegetarian/vegan options and all of those meals look like they’ve waltzed out of my dreams :)
I can’t wait to see more photos of your trip!
I’m so happy you did a post on the rest of your trip, Kate! Unfortunately I didn’t make it to Israel during my 5 years growing up in the Middle East but it sounds like the food scene is definitely worth going for. Enjoy the last bit of your time in Austin! :)
I love seeing all the photos and hearing about your experience in Israel. Isaac went a few years ago for birthright and came back with epic tales. I hope I get to visit sometime.
This shake is definitely happening considering I have over six huge containers of Medjool dates sitting on my dinning room table right now. :)
That’s a lot of dates! It’s really a beautiful country. I really want to see more of the Middle East now!
Kate, this shake saved my day! I was upset when waking up this morning because I had nothing to eat for breakfast (excepted a very ripe banana that I didn’t know what to do with) but felt SO hungry (or hangry should I say), and then, when checking my bloglovin feed, I found your recipe. I had everything to make it and it was the perfect solution to use this poor little banana! (so, yes, it even works with fresh banana) And of course it tasted absolutely delicious! I was a bit sceptic about tahini in a shake, but it pairs so well with dates and brings so much richness and creaminess! Thanks to you, my day had a new (and good!) start!
Perfect!!! Happy to hear that you found my shake in time, Nina. :)
its a beautiful experience and thank you for sharing that with us. And I will be making this shake very soon, immediately after i stock up on tahini :)
It’s refreshing to hear about Israel in a non-political context and see that there is beauty, vibrancy, and joy (yummy, yummy joy) in a place so associated with frequent sorrows. Looking forward to our next stop on the tour!
Thank you, Anne! I appreciate it.
That looks like an amazing trip! I would love to travel there one day. The food looks amazing and inspiring too.
I have not been to Israel in 20 years but I did spend a year there after high school. The food is fantastic and the history rich. Too bad you didn’t see Jerusalem. I think it is wonderful that Israel is doing PR trips to media. That is a great way for people to hear about this wonderful, young and advanced place.
I love hearing about your trip! Tel Aviv sounds so wonderful – I would love to go eventually! Those spices and dates in your photos look so, so amazing. This shake looks perfect too! I have made something similar and really love these flavours together. Can’t wait to see and hear more about your trip!
Love the addition of your travels and the photos are gorgeous!This is also one of my favorite smoothie recipes but I have yet to try it with tahini. Can’t wait to give a try!!
Great photos! It’s so cool that you’ve do this much travelling this early on in life. I’m almost 30 and I have yet to cross an ocean! Perhaps after getting through your upcoming posts on the trip I’ll have no choice but to pick a destination and book that flight :)
Book a flight! I’m all for it. :) I got to spend a semester in France during college and I’ve been traveling as much as possible ever since!
Your trip looks amazing!! The photos are beautiful and the way you describe Tel Aviv sounds so inviting…the food, the beach-y vibe… I’m so excited to make this shake…I have everything in the fridge and I’m thinking it’s going to be lunch today. Delicious!!! xx
You put my worries to rest. Tel Aviv is one of those places I’m so paranoid of visiting due to the unrest in surrounding areas. Looks beautiful.. I wanna visit. :-)
This shake looks amazing, I usually add some dates or prunes in my shake if they are lying around with bananas, but tahini, yum. I’m gonna buy some. What brand of tahini did you use? The orange/white/brown container?
I felt safe there! I really wish we could have gone to Jerusalem. I actually used Whole Foods’ brand tahini and it was great. Can’t say I have a favorite brand yet!
I make a tahini banana honey shake but I love the addition of dates here!
The first time I had them in shakes was during a 120 F day when we were (perhaps unwisely) biking around Palm Springs. I thought I was going to die unless we stopped somewhere with AC and this little shop that had date shakes materialized so I went in and ordered one even though I thought it sounded a bit odd….turns out dates are nature’s answer to caramel :)
Dates are totally nature’s caramel! I’m learning to like them. So far I like them best in smoothies!
Sometimes, it’s actually a good thing that you don’t get to see all the attractions in the places you have visited so you have more reasons to come back! Oh and that market looks incredible. So stuffed with good food to keep one healthy and fit.
SO excited to read this, i can’t believe you came to visit and i didn’t even get a chance to invite you for a nice freshly squeezed Israeli green juice! next time :)
LOVE the pictures… BTW the facebook Israeli HQ are located in the rightmost building in your skyscraper pic. can’t wait till the next posts
Oh, that juice sounds great! Hope you found my tabbouleh post with more photos!
I loove tahini but never tried it on a shake!! Such a cool idea <3
Thanks for sharing these great photos from your trip. Sounds like it was incredibly awesome! And I love the Middle Eastern flare the tahini adds to this delicious smoothie!
you had me a tahini date shake but the photos and story of your trip are amazing. roof top yoga is my jam, while those spices and dates are my dream. thanks for sharing. xo
I’m afraid Israel is one subject you can’t stay on the fence about if you are going to write about it. It seems your post has done the PR a favour and although I do understand you don’t want to get involved, I think you have, just by writing this. I will not be going to Israel nor Tel Aviv but I would look forward to reading your future post about restaurants and the warm welcome you would also receive in Gaza or the West Bank. I am just an ordinary Scottish woman who likes reading about food but I am sorry I now must unsubscribe. I hesitate to write because I know you meant no harm but I felt upset reading this and all the comments. I too can see how beautiful it looks but it is built on the suffering of others and that I can’t stomach. with best wishes Kate
Kate, I hear you and I understand where you are coming from. I would gladly visit Gaza or the West Bank if I were invited. I hesitated in accepting the invitation, but I agreed because I hoped that sharing my experience would stimulate interest in the region as a whole. We almost only hear about conflict in the Middle East and I think it’s important to be reminded of the beauty and kindness that can be found in that part of the world.
Your site has been a lifesaver for me and my family, but when that ‘beauty and kindness’ is kept from an oppressed people while you get to experience and indulge in it with no harm to your person and as a ‘travel inspo’ to others, it prioritizes an oppressive regime and their PR over human rights.
I made this shake over the weekend and it was to-die-for! Now I need to stock up on more bananas to freeze because I’m already craving another one. :) Ugh, so good. Thank you so much for sharing!
Hooray! Glad you loved it, Sarah.
what a great smoothie! I love dates and tahini, so I must try this soon.
Tel aviv is an amazing city, so happy you enjoyed your trip.
Thanks, Sina! I enjoyed it very much!
Hi Kate,
I’ve been enjoying your blog for a while now, from Jerusalem, Israel, and was really excited you visited. Tel Aviv is awesome, and Israel as a whole is a very special place. For the reader Kate who “had to” unsubscribe: Yes, Israel is complicated, and not always in the right, but I think the moral thing to do is to learn about those complexities from both sides- without passing severe judgments. Focusing on the people and culture, not governments is a good way to start.
Thank you, Leah. :)
I made this shake after dinner tonight and it was DELICIOUS. It tastes like a milkshake but better! I bought a jar of tahini to make hummus but after I saw this recipe, I wanted to try it because I had all of the ingredients on hand. I cannot wait to make it again tomorrow!! LOVE YOUR BLOG!
Awesome!!! So glad you enjoyed it, Alice!
I love your recipes and check in every so often when I have some veggies that I’d like to make “come alive.” To be honest, I don’t always read the blog, and often scroll right down to the recipe because I’m a work from home mom of three and right now I just don’t have the time (some day…). But when I saw the title of this blog I felt compelled to read all the way through, including each and every comment! I was never a Tahini fan, generally only eating it on Falafel, which I ate very rarely. I won’t tell you what I thought dates looked like, but I used to not be able to get one into my mouth! But my husband,who is from a city right next to Tel-Aviv, changed all that! He introduced me to the soft and delicious Mjejool dates, and slowly but surely, I have now come to love Tahini in many forms. As “odd” as this drink sounds, I’m going to have to try it! And to make up for the reader who “had to” unsubscribe because you simply visited another country and documented it, I plan to subscribe to support your journey and make up for the lost readership!
Thank you, Aviva! I’m glad to hear that you appreciated this post!
Your trip photos look amazing! I love reading your blog posts, and appreciate how frequently you supply a steady stream of delicious recipes and color. Did you bring back any interesting flavors/spices from your trip? I am looking for recipes with nigella seeds, and know they are used atop middle eastern breads, among other things. As I kid, my father used to bring us home crescent rolls from a local bakery in Hartford, CT. I never knew what the tasty black seeds were and only recently realized they are nigella sativa, sometimes called black cumin. Thank you!
Thank you, Anna! I can’t recall if I had any nigella seeds over there. If I did, I probably mistook them for black sesame seeds! I definitely came back with a greater appreciation for tahini and dates. They use them in everything! Oh and halva, too.
Another winner! I was out of bananas so I subbed Goya frozen ripe plantains.
Thanks, Dave! Glad you enjoyed it.
Yours was my gateway to tahini smoothies. and like a previous poster stated I cannot get enough of tahini in my smoothies! It’s bad. Real bad. I really love the addition of cinnamon and nutmeg or cardamom, and am SERIOUSLY hooked on the halva with blended frozen strawberries (I do banana and strawberries sometimes)…I don’t blog and don’t want to name drop but maybe you’re familiar? I’d love to see your version, Kate!!
Awesome, thanks Jennifer! Your strawberry halva smoothie sounds amazing!!!
Loved your review of Tel Aviv. Yes it is the city that never sleeps.
I’ve been living here for the last 47 years and love it (from New Jersey) You can try tahini with selan (date honey) in your morning yogurt and granola. Healthy and good for you.
Hi Sue! Thank you. Tel Aviv was so lovely. Your breakfast suggestion sounds great!
Usually I don’t like bananas in smoothies, but I thought they went really well with this whole mixture! Delicious shake, thanks for sharing. Glad you enjoyed Tel Aviv.
Definitely gonna try this! Kate next time your in Austin I would recommend trying Peace Bakery off N. Lamar and Breaker. Super awesome Mediterranean restaurant and bakery.
Thanks, David! I just added it to my list!
Just made this. Yum! And a great source of calcium.
Thanks, Bec!
Obsessed with this shake and sharing with every one I know. Thanks!
Delicious and unique! Glad you loved Israel. It is the most special place.
I made this, but with coconut milk instead of almond milk, and it turned out great! Thanks for this recipe :)
This was amazing. The tahini seemed like such an odd addition, but it turned out so delicious! I used 3 dates instead of 4 and I didn’t have vanilla extract and it still turned out perfect. Thanks for another outstanding recipe.
Thank you, Carrie! I’m glad you liked the smoothies.
Hey Kate! Do you think I could subtitute yogurt for tahini?
I had the most delicious tahini, date, banana and walnut smoothie when I was in Israel. I was hoping to recreate the recipe at home and after a quick google for inspiration, I came across this. I never before realised how unique the flavour of date and tahini was to this country and drinking the smoothie while looking back at the photos really brings back the memories!
Yoram Ottolenghi has a great documentary where he tours through Jerusalem, in both Jewish and Palestinian homes and shows how food can be a means to bring people together. Highly recommended, as Israel has such an original and diverse cuisine.
Thanks for the recipe and photos.